PART 7: STARTING & OPERATING THE VEHICLE BRAKE SAFETY AND EMERGENCY
(R10/06) Y53-6007 – 105 –
Retarders
Various retarders are available which function against the
engine, driveline, or transmission. These are devices that
use your engine’s power to slow down your vehicle. They
save wear and tear on your service brakes and can be a
safety feature, too, because they can keep your brakes
from overheating.
Ideally, you should always slow your vehicle with your
retarder (where permitted by law) and use your service
brakes only for stopping completely. Operating this way
will greatly prolong the life of your brakes.
WARNING!
• In an emergency, the retarder might not
stop you fast enough to prevent an acci
-
dent. You could be badly hurt if you relied
only on your retarder. Use the service
brakes for quick stops. The retarder is not
an emergency brake.
• The retarder is NOT intended as the primary
brake for the vehicle, nor is it an emergency
brake. The retarder only helps the service
brakes by using pressure to slow the driv
-
etrain. Use the service brakes for quick
stops.
• The service brakes must be used in an
emergency. The retarder alone might not
stop you fast enough to prevent an acci
-
dent. You could be badly hurt if you relied
only on the retarder.
• Do not use the retarder when operating on
road surfaces with poor traction (such as
wet, icy, or snow covered roads or gravel).
Retarders can cause the wheels to skid on a
slippery surface. You could lose control of
the vehicle if the wheels begin to skid,
resulting in an accident.
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